Washing machine



Dec. 23, 1924.

G. s. BLAKESLEE WASHING MACHINE we@ '23, 1924. 152m M G. S. BLAKESLEE WASHING MACHINE' ed July 6, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. S. BKLAKESLEE WASHING MACHINE Filed July e, 1918 4 shee s III HIM| lllllll lllllllllilllml G. sf BLAKESLEE WASHING MACHINE Filed July e, 19 a 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

.FFICEL GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE,

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS..

WASHING MACHINE.

Application led July 6,

- of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines,

of which the following is a specification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings. A

My invention relates to washing machines and has for its object to provide an improved machine suitablekfor washing castings and other comparatively heavy articles of more or less irregular shape. To this end it consists in improved means for supporting andl moving the articles to be washed through the machine while they are being subjected to the action of the washing and rinsing water, and in improved means for throwing the washing and rinse ing water forcibly against the articlesto be washed so that they will be eectually cleansed. I accomplish my object as illustrated in the drawings and as hereinafter described. What I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the inlet end of the machine, certain parts being broken awa Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the outlet end of the machine, being a contlnuation to the right of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 taken together are a plan view of the machine, Fig..4 being a continuation to the right of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, being a partial vertical section of the inlet end of the machine, taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is substantially a vertical cross-section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the construction of the conveyer and one of the transverse paddle wheels.

Referring to the drawings,-8 indicates .the housing of the machine taken as a whole, which is a long box-like structure rectangular in cross-section and open at its ends for the entrance and exit of the articles treated. Near its opposite ends the bottom of the housing is constructed to form washing and rinsing tanks 9-10, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the washin tank 9 being more specifically shown in 65 ig. 5. For the 1918. Serial. No. 243,673.

greater part` of the distance between the tanks 9L10 the bottom part of the housingY slopes toward the washing tank 9, as shown at 11 in Figs. 1 and 2, so that wash water draining from the articles to be washed flows back to the washing tank. Each of the tanks 9`10 is provided with a drain pipe 12 and an overliow pipe 13, as 'shown in Fig. 5, said pipes being provided with suitable valves 14-15. For convenience of description that part of the housing which overlies the washing tank9 will be termed the washing compartment and the part over the rinsing tank 10 will be termed the rinsing compartment.

At one side of the washing compartment is a lateral extension 16 ofthe housing in which is mounted 'a paddle wheel 17, and in like manner opposite the rinsing compartment is a housing 18 whichencloses a paddle wheel 19. These paddle wheels are mountedupon a common shaft 20, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which extends through the paddle wheel compartments, as shown in said figures. The shaft 20 is provided in-y termediately with a gear 21 which meshes with a pinion 22 mounted on a countershaft 23, as shown in Fig. 1. Said countershaft also carries a pulley 24, as shown in Fig. 6, which is driven by a belt 25 from a pulley 26 mounted on the armature shaft 27 of an electric motor 28. The motor 28 is mounted on the topof the housing 8, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, when the motor is in operation, both paddle wheels are rotated. As shown in Fig. 6, said paddle wheels dip into the water in the paddle wheel compartments, which stands at the same level as in the washing`- and rinsing tanks, and as said paddle wheels rotate the blades lift the water and throw it over laterally and downwardly upon the articles to be washed.

29-30 indicate rails, preferably angle irons, which extend longitudinally through the housing 8 at opposite sides thereof, as shown in Fig. 6, said rails being located a short distance above the normal level of the water in the washing and rinsing tanks. 31-32 indicate similar rails located under -the housing 8 and extending longitudinally thereof under the rails 29-30, as shown in Fig. 6. These rails arefdesigned to support the endless conveyer which supports the articles to be treated as it travels. 33 indicates said conveyer which is composed of two endless chains 34-35, as shown in Figs.

treated.

38-39 indicate aprons at the opposite ends of the housing 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bottoms of said aprons being substantially on a level with the openings in the ends of said-housing. The conveyer belt travels over said aprons' in its movement through the machine and returns underneath the housing 8 and said aprons, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus the aprons provide convenient means for supporting the Y end portions of the conveyer so that they are nously and in the same direction.

readily accessible for the application thereto or removal therefrom of the articles to be washed. At the' outer lends of the aprons 38-39 transverse shafts 40-41 are provided upon which are mounted sprocket `wheels 42-43-over which the chains 34-35 run, so

that by rotating one or both of said shafts As the ma the conveyer may be driven. chine is designed for handling heavy articles it is necessary that the conveyer be relieved as much as possible of strain, and, therefore, provision is made for driving both the shafts 40-'41. This is accomplished by providing,

the shaft 20 with worms 44-45A at its opposite ends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the worm 44 engaging a worm wheel 46 mounted upon a transverse shaft 47, and the worm 45 engaging a worm wheel 48 mounted upon a transverse shaft 49. The shaft 47 drives another transverse shaft 50 by means of a chain 51 operating over sprocketv wheels 52-53 mounted on the shafts 47-50, respectively, as shown in Fig. 3, the sprocket wheel 53 being of somewhat greater diameter than the sprocket wheel 52 so that the speed of the shaft 50 is reduced. In like manner the shaft 50 drives the shaft 40 through a chain 54, and sprocket wheels 55-56 mounted on the shafts 50 and 40, respectively, the sprocket wheel 56 being of greater diameter than the sprocket wheel 55 so that a further reduction in speed with consequent increase in power is obtained. The connections between the worm 45 at the opposite endpof the shaft 2O and thel shaft 41 at the outlet end of the machine are similar to those alreadydescribed, sprocket wheels of corresponding sizes being employed so that the shafts 40 andv 41 are driven synchro- As illustrated, 57 indicates a sprocket wheel on the shaft 49 which corresponds with the sprocket wheel 52. 58 indicates a sprocket wheel on .of the machine.

a transverse shaft 59 which corresponds with the transverse shaft 50 at the opposite end 60 indicates a chain connecting the sprocket wheels 57--58. 61 indicates a sprocket wheel on the shaft 59, 62 a sprocket wheel on the shafft'41, and 63 a belt connecting the sprocket wheels 61'-62. It will be evident from theforegoing description-that the conveyer will move comparatively slowly through the machine from end to end carrying the articles superimposed upon it past the paddle wheels 17-19, which operate to throw washing and rinsing water violently down upon and across the articles as they move through the washing and rinsing compartments, thus effectually scouring their upper surfaces andto some extent cleansing their under surfaces. Many of the articles which this machine is intended to wash are, however, of more or less irregular shape, and consequently they will not be completely cleansed by water thrown upon them from above only. C I have, therefore, provided means arranged to cooperate with the paddle wheels already described to throw Washing and. rinsing `water upward violently against the articles. Such -means comprise transversely disposed paddle wheels 64-65 which are mounted on shafts 66-67, respectively, disposed transversely of the washing and rinsing tanks at the ends thereof nearest the inlet, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Said paddle wheels lie under the path of the conveyer so that when in operation they take up-water from the washing and rinsing tanks. respectively, and throw it forcibly upward against the under sides of the articles to be washed. The shafts 66-67 carrv pulleys 68-69, respectively, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, over which runs a belt 70 so that said shaftsrotate in the-same direction. -The shaft 67 is driven from a motor 71 by\a belt 72 which runs on pulleys 7 3-7 4 mounted on the armature shaft of the motor 71 and the shaft 67, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus the paddle wheels 64-65 may be started and stopped-independently ofthe paddle wheels 17-19 and may be run at a different rate of speed there.

from. Adjacent to each paddle wheel 64- 65 a defiector 75 is provided, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. for directing the water thrown by said paddle wheels upward against the articles to be washed. 7 6-77 indicate rollers below the housing 8 for guiding the lower portion of the conveyer as it travels back to the inletend of the machine. yft will be understood that the machine is provided with the usual piping for supplying water to the washing and rinsing tanks and for heating the water in said tanks, as indicated 1n the drawings, but as such parts are old and .have nothing to do with my present invention itis not deemed necessary to describe them.

In using the machine the motor 28 is started thereby driving the conveyer and the paddle wheels 172-19 Ordinarily the motor 7l is also started to drive the paddle wheels 64 and 65. .v The articles to be washed are then placed on the conveyer at the inlet end of the machine and as they are carried through the washing and rinsing compartments are subjected on all sides to the action of the washing and rinsing water. After passing out of the machine over the apron 39 they are removed by an attendant.` During the passage of the articles through thejmachine the load is sustained by the upper rails 29-30, and the weight of the return portion of, the conveyer is sustained by the lower rails -31-32, thereby relieving the conveyerof sustaining strains toa large extent, and as the conveyer is driven from both ends it is also largely relieved of tensile strains. The conveyer may, therefore, be made comparatively light notwithstanding the fact that it is intended heavy articles.

What I claim Aas'my invention and to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. A washing machine, comprising a tank,

desire to carry more or AlessA a conveyer movable substantially horizontally thereover, a paddle wheel at one side thereof for throwing water from said tank laterally and downward upon the articles to be washed, a motor, meansvfor driving said conveyer and said paddle wheel from said motor, a transversely disposed paddle wheel under the path of the articles to be washed for throwing water from said tank upward against the same, and independent means for driving the latter paddle wheel.

2. A washing machine, comprising a tank, an endless conveyer movable substantially horizontally thereover, means extending over said tank for supporting said conveyer as it travels thereover, shaft at one side of the machine, a paddle wheel mounted on said shaft and adapted to throw water from said tank against the articles carried by said conveyer, a motor for driving said shaft, and means operatively connected with the end portions of said shaft and with said conveyer at the end portions of the machine for driving said conveyer.

GEORGE s. yBLAKESLEE.

a longitudinally disposed 

